The use of naturally occurring estrogenic compositions of substantial purity and low toxicity such as Premarin.RTM. has become a preferred medical treatment for alleviating the symptoms of menopausal syndrome, osteoporosis/osteopenia in estrogen deficient women and as a preventative in the treatment of cardiovascular disease in men and women and in other hormone related disorders. The estrogenic components of the naturally occurring estrogenic compositions have been generally identified as sulfate esters of estrone, equilin, equilenin, .beta.-estradiol, dihydroequilenin and .beta.-dihydroequilenin (U.S. Pat. No. 2,834,712). The estrogenic compositions are usually buffered or stabilized with alkali metal salts or organic or inorganic acids at a substantially neutral pH of about 6.5 to 7.5. Urea has also been used as a stabilizer (U.S. Pat. No. 3,608,077). The incorporation of antioxidants to stabilize synthetic conjugated estrogens and the failure of pH control with Tris.RTM. to prevent hydrolysis is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,154,820.
8,9-Dehydroestrone is a known compound useful as an intermediate in the synthetic production of estrone by isomerization to 9,11 unsaturation (U.S. Pat. No. 3,394,153) and as an intermediate in the production of 3-cyclopentyloxy-17-ethynyl derivatives (Example XXVIII, U.S. Pat. No. 3,649,621).